Seated work in a climate controlled environment may be viewed as preferable to physically intense work. Work stations tend to be designed to minimize movement and conserve energy. However, sedentary work environments may contribute to increased rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and musculoskeletal injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and degenerative disks. Each of these maladies can lead to decreased productivity, lower employee morale, and increased health care costs.
Much of the workforce in developed countries works seated at a computer. However, sitting burns fewer calories than standing which may contribute to increased rates of obesity, mortality, and in particular cardiovascular disease mortality. The World Health Organization has associated increased obesity with rising rates of type II diabetes, hypertension, stroke, sleep apnea, cholelithiasis, degenerative arthritis and certain cancers (e.g. colon cancer).
While the etiology of obesity can be complex, it may generally occur when daily energy intake exceeds total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Human TDEE may be subdivided into three components: basal metabolic rate (BMR), thermic effects of food (TEF) and activity thermogenesis (AT). BMR is the energy required for core body function during rest, which may account for approximately 60% of a sedentary individual's daily energy expenditure. TEF is the energy required during digestion, absorption, and fuel storage after a meal, which may account for approximately 10% of a sedentary individual's daily energy expenditure. AT can be further subdivided into exercise AT (i.e. bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness), and non-exercise AT (NEAT) (i.e. energy expenditure that occurs while performing routine daily activities such as, for example, climbing stairs at home and walking in the office). Increasing an individual's AT may help reduce the risk of obesity and related maladies.
Some studies suggest that people who are predominantly seated while working (e.g. bus drivers and telephone operators), may have twice the chance of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) as compared to people who are able to stand throughout the day such as bus conductors or mail carriers. In fact, it has been reported that an individual's risk of suffering from metabolic syndrome as well as uncontrolled metabolic risk factors (e.g. CVD, types II diabetes, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, unhealthy plasma glucose levels, unhealthy plasma triglycerides levels, central adiposity, and large waist girth) may be directly related to the time the individual has spent sitting and inversely related to the individual's NEAT level.
Standing and transitioning from sitting to standing regularly may provide significant health benefits. Some studies have found that increases in muscle activity in the quadriceps during standing, as well the transition from sitting to standing, may affect specific cellular signals and regulate health risk factors, possibly better than intense exercise activities like running 35 miles/week or taking hour-long brisk walks 5 days/week. Workers who stand on a regular basis (e.g. a shop assistant) may expend up to 1400 kcal/day without engaging in any strenuous physical activity. In contrast, workers who are chair-bound may expend as little as 300 kcal/day.
Lower back pain is a common problem among seated workers. Some studies suggest that prolonged static sitting and reduced lumbar lordosis may be two significant risk factors associated with occupational lower back pain. It has been reported that workers with jobs that require prolonged sitting may be 3.2 times more likely to develop lower back pain within the first year of employment.
Some manufacturers have introduced walking workstations and cycling workstations to address the problems of sedentary workplaces. However, some studies suggest that these workstations may contribute to reduced productivity relative to standing or seated workstations.
In addition, users of workstations that enable users to move (e.g., walking workstations, cycling workstations, etc.) may not be as inclined to undergo movement for the betterment of their health due to idleness, inertia, or forgetfulness while working. Furthermore, the movements that accompany the above described workstations may not be tailored to the user's specific needs. There is thus a desire for a system and method of moving workstations that are automatic and user-specific.